Yes, I did watch it. I thought it was sweet, thoughtful, and cute, and while I’m not in Turning Red’s target demographic, not every movie in existence has to be for me. It’s just right as it is.
For the record, my simple appreciation is actually high praise for Turning Red, given how “meh” I’ve been about animated features over the last five years.
Liked, in order of how much:
- Encanto (Disney’s best in a decade)
- Into the Spider-Verse (better than Tom Holland)
- Turning Red (good stuff)
- Onward (a quiet surprise)
I was 50/50 on watching Encanto from the outset, because I wasn’t impressed with LMM’s Disney work. I was fortunate to watch Moana with someone who loved it, but Encanto is to Moana as Hamilton is to In the Heights.
Disliked, in order of how much:
- Frozen II (quit after 30 minutes)
- Coco (fell asleep)
- The Secret Life of Pets 2 (sophomore slump)
- Ralph Breaks the Internet (see above)
- The Mitchells vs. the Machines (instantly forgettable)
Technically, Coco could be #1: I found it so tedious and off-putting that I didn’t give Soul or Luca even a moment’s consideration… it was such an enthusiasm-killer, I almost didn’t watch Encanto. But F2 was so bad I couldn’t even finish it after three attempts, and expectations were higher.